Jennifer Johnson Is Sick of Being Single

I liked this book overall, but was shocked by the ending. Jennifer is a woman who has just turned 30 who seems to be in a dead end job. She's not where she thought she would be at this time in her life. She has numerous self esteem problems as well as an addiction to Cinnabon. All things seem to be going wrong for her until during a mid-west winter she meets the man of her dreams. But does the man of her dreams really hold the key to making her dreams come true?

Jennifer is an everywoman: thirty something with a snide boss, a cubicle job writing copy for a Minneapolis department store, a Cinnabon obsession, and smarts she doesn’t quite know what to do with. Online dating is a nightmare, and she doesn’t have a date for her sister’s wedding. She’s Bridget Jones in Minnesota.

Then Jennifer meets someone, and he asks her out. He’s handsome and from a wealthy family. But as they date, her “gay bee” friend Christopher in the Visual department doesn’t like him, and her co-worker Ted is suddenly cold to her.

As I read this book, I thought I knew what was going on and where it was headed. I was puzzled by how unlikable Jennifer often was, but appreciated her sense of humor, her sharp show more observations, and wanted to see what happened to her. When I finally did, though, I was shocked. McElhatton utterly surprised me. Initially, I thought she was crazy. As the ending and the book melded together, though, I saw the method to the ostensible madness.

Jennifer Johnson, both the book and the character, show what we think we want, and what happens when we try to get it, and IF we get it. But there are no easy answers here, and I shouldn’t have expected any. I read and enjoyed McElhatton’s tart and clever Pretty Little Mistakes: a Do-Over Novel in 2007. What I enjoyed most about it were the unexpected twists and turns of karmic irony that seemed as much to do with fate than free will. Jennifer and her story would fit right into one of the “what happens next” scenarios from that book.

This book looks like chick lit, and much of it reads like that. Lurking beneath the surface and eventually rearing its head, though, is a complex, dark streak that takes this book another place entirely. This is not a sunny beach read, as I thought it would be. It’s something much more interesting and cool. Bravo. show less

Jennifer Johnson is hard to empathize with. She is the poster child for low self esteem. She is whiny and is constantly getting herself into outrageous situations. Like when she hides in the stairwell to shove a Cinnabon in her mouth without anyone looking only to be discovered by her dream man. Or the incident where she slapped a drag queen ('nough said). As she survives these situations, you think -- Jennifer, you are smart, funny, and wonderful! Stop messing up your life! -- only to hope that she will get the message. That is the greatness of this book, it is a hysterical cautionary tale for any woman who feels not good enough and believes that only certain things bring happiness. On a side note, I would like to give immense credit show more to author Heather Mcelhatton for the most surprising ending I have ever read. show less

I have to be honest, I really didn't like this book. REALLY didn't like this book. As a single woman, who doesn't feel that she is in as much angst about her singleness as some think she should, this book had me scratching my head at times. The writing is quite witty, with funny one liners, and scenes of gobbling up sugary-sweet treats in an empty stairwell at work (out of anxiety), that had me laughing; however, I didn't relate to Jennifer's panic over the "who and what" questions in her life. It seemed to me that she was a Bridget Jones-ish character, meant to show us that what we want, may not be exactly what is best for us. This, however, is pretty much only revealed in the last few chapters of the book, ending in a way that is an show more unhappy resolution. But wait...you're supposed to be happy that ended in a tragic sort of sadness, right? Yes, I realize that was the point. That was okay, and I got it, but I also realized that the main character really was a reflection of any and all single women who feel they "have to" be married, and to someone of status, to be a complete person.

Altogether, I thought the book was well written, but didn't end up liking the main character, nor her choices. I suppose that added up to me not liking how the book ended. Does that mean it's not a good book, no, just that its delivery and outcome are meant to drive home a point, a very anti-"chick-lit" or happy ending sort of point. That's okay, but just left me a bit frustrated. I would have preferred to have seen what she did with her not so happy ending. One thing that ending did for me though, was to ensure that I'd embrace my single status, and not as a badge of shame! show less

My library recommended book 2 of this series to me (they did not carry this one) which looked funny and appealed to me. New to me author. This one was reasonably priced on kindle when I was in the mood for a rom-com read so gave it a whirl.

The plot, until the ending, appealed. Writing was okay if a bit on the stream of consciousness side. I was always on the fence about the main character, partly because in places she really took some friendships for granted and was even nasty to friends. I never got the romance; it was clear she was eventually mostly into the guy because he was rich.

The ending was abrupt and spoiled the read for me. Not a cliffhanger. Just kind of dropped out of nowhere that *boom* the end. And all of a sudden show more everything heroine went through and felt in previous chapters got inexplicably reversed.

I'm now on the fence about borrowing the next book. It could conceivably redeem the character and the abrupt ending (and would be free to borrow). But, even before the abrupt ending this one didn't completely hook me. show less

If Bridget Jones was American, she would be Jennifer Johnson…um, minus the cigarettes and alcohol units. Oh okay, just minus the cigarettes. Well, that was my initial impression of this book, and though it does hold up for awhile I would say that the book does take its own path and leads to a very unBridget-like ending.

Jennifer Johnson is a young professional working as a copywriter for a department store. When she is not at work navigating the personalities and politics of her dead end career with a healthy dose of snarky humor and regular trips to Cinnabons, she is braving the hazardous and humorous (for us at least) perils of the online dating scene. Her dates usually end up a bit of a disaster, but she deals with it in a bumbling show more yet funny, and at times inebriated, manner reminiscent of the above mentioned Bridget.

Just when she thinks the disastrous digital dating will never end, along comes what appears to be a doofus in a red parka but who actually ends up being none other than...well let’s just say someone she didn’t expect and who happens to be too gorgeous to be true. Romance ensues and maybe, just maybe, Jennifer is getting what she has hoped for all this time. But as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for…

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable chick-lit book, but if you are looking for another Bridget Jones type of story then you may be disappointed. Jennifer is a bit more depressed, the atmosphere is a bit darker, and the humor a bit more snarky. But if you like that kind of thing and don’t have to have a happily-ever-after ending, then you may like this book. Personally, I like my HEA so the ending wasn’t my favorite part. It wasn’t particularly sad, but it wasn’t happy…more of a “thing to make you go hmmm”.

Besides my personal issue with the ending, the book had its laugh out loud moments, or at the very least some snort out loud moments. I can’t say it was a page-turner for me but it was certainly an enjoyable read.

(Originally reviewed at IJustFinished.com) show less

Jennifer has hit 30, has an unsatisfying career as a copywriter for a family-owned Minneapolis department store and bad luck with men. When she meets the heir to her store's family, he seems too good to be true. Maybe I don't relate to the Minnesota setting, but I couldn't get into this or relate to Jennifer. There is a sequel where she is sick of being married (spoiler?), and I think I'll pass.